Blow by Blow
by K Hanna Korossy
Summary: Goodbye, Stranger missing scenes: Rock beats scissors. Paper beats rock. Family beats everything.


**Blow by Blow**  
K Hanna Korossy

Cas stopped Dean's punch with one hand. Then took his fist and twisted it back, crunching bone in a shattering blast of pain.

Dean cried out and went to his knees.

 _Why? Cas betraying us again? Naomi…?_

One hard hit to the face, then another before he could recover. Blood pouring out, and Cas's face above him, impassive.

 _Tried to make up for it in Purgatory. Why…?_

Cas was looking at the tablet.

"You want it?" Dean asked through the liquid in his mouth. "Take it. But you're gonna have to kill me first. Come on, you coward, do it," he spat. "Do it!"

And Cas punched him again.

 _Not Cas—this isn't Cas. Compromised. Not gonna stop him… 'Least Sam's safe._

He sagged to the side, groaning, as Cas hit him again, angel sword in hand. Cheekbone caving under the metal, pouring fire over his face.

 _Sam's safe. Sam's safe. With Meg._

Another blow. Blood in his eye, down his throat.

 _Meg. Cas 'n Meg-blonde?-have a history? Cas…_

A pause. Cas still looked calm, distant.

Dean heaved in a ragged breath, the buzz in his ears now a roar. "Cas. This isn't you. This isn't you."

 _Like Yellow-Eyes in Dad. Meg in Sam. Leviathan in Cas. Lucifer in Sam. Alistair as…everybody. Always beating on me…hurt the ones you love…Sam's safe…_

 _Cas's family, too._

One more hit. He couldn't really feel his face anymore, but other parts of his body weren't responding, either. He couldn't see out of one eye, foggy in the other. Cold. Dizzy. Chest tight.

Castiel raised his sword, point aimed at Dean this time. He wouldn't survive the next strike.

 _Sammy's damaged. Safe, but. Family. Family beats tablet._

There was the faintest twist in Cas's expression, a shadow of emotion.

Dean held up the hand he could still move, hot flare followed by a wave of ice. Begging.

"I know you're in there. I know you can hear me."

 _Dad got control of a demon, for me. Sammy…freakin'_ Satan. _Family…don't give up…you don't give up on them…_

"Cas, it's me." His voice was breaking and he didn't care. "We're family. We need you."

Cas wasn't moving.

"I need you."

But there was something in his eyes…

"Cas," he moaned.

The sword clattered out of Cas's hand.

Dean sank back, groaning, the light flickering. Panting; hard to breathe. Trying not to pass out, because he wasn't sure he'd wake up.

 _Sam. Sammy. Can't do this alone. Cas…_

Castiel was leaning down, picking up the damned tablet. The light was searing. He couldn't raise his arm to protect himself.

 _Tablet. We're gonna lose… Why_ Lucifer's _crypt? Why a_ crypt?Thoughts fluttering. _Sam'll need—_

The light had faded and Cas was reaching for him again.

He couldn't take another hit. "Cas. Cas?" Dean tried to flinch away but had nothing left. "No. Cas. Cas!"

 _Sam!_

A cool wave washed through him, taking away the agony, the tight numbness, the haze and burning and weakness. Healing.

And Castiel said, "I'm so sorry, Dean."

He should've felt more relieved than he did.

00000

He'd told Sam, every detail. Put up with his brother checking him carefully over because, hey, he would've done the same thing, tables turned. Fielded his questions, but Dean himself didn't know most of the answers.

He hesitated, then went for it. "Listen, man, I can't take any more lies, from anyone."

Sam flushed. "Yeah. Um…I know. I'm sorry. I should have told you. I-I…just wanted to believe it was okay. I don't know."

It sucked that they were agreeing about Sam not being okay, that he was… _damaged at a subatomic level,_ and wasn't so sure anymore about the whole surviving-the-Trials thing. But at least if the cards were on the table now, Dean would know what they were playing, what he had to beat.

He promised Sam he'd get him through this, even if he had to carry him at the end. Quoted Lord of the Rings—uh, _yeah_ —because that Sam was awesome, too, and a lot better with words than Dean. And he knew it would crack Sam's worry with a smile.

It wasn't something he hadn't said a million different times and ways throughout their lives. But he saw it this time: Sam's shoulders unclenching, that little frown between his eyes smoothing out. The moment he got through, when Sam not only heard him but believed him. Just like with Cas in the crypt, the acknowledgement that family would win.

 _It wasn't Cas—Cas is safe, Sam is safe, family doesn't give up, didn't give up on me, beats tablets and mind-controlling sons of bitches and the freaking_ world.

"We got work to do," Dean murmured, and pretended it didn't make all the difference when Sam nodded without hesitation beside him.

 **The End**


End file.
